When the world's wealthiest take to the high seas, it's safe to say they don't settle for average, but the sheer luxury of some of their floating spreads is truly stunning. This is one of those cost-be-damned affectations of the super-rich that tends to infuriate and impress at the same time. The massive cost of these seafaring mansions is staggering—Russian billionaire Roman Abromovich spent up to $800M on his fifth yacht, the 557-foot Eclipse—but the results are undoubtedly sensational, so we couldn't help but show off some of our favorites. Up first is the Wally 118 (above), a 118-foot speed demon capable reaching 70 mph. Featured in the 2005 film The Island, this streamlined yacht is decked out with carbon fiber everything: even the toilet seats were crafted from the lightweight composite. Now the price—$18.5M—might not even register on Abromovich's radar, but the hypermodern beauty still wows with its design.
? A stark contrast to the spaceship-esque Wally 118, the S.S. Delphine is a classic yacht—built in 1921 for auto baron Horace Dodge—that still uses the original steam engines for power. The 258-foot steel-hulled cruiser boasts five decks, sumptuous old-world interiors, and a swimming-pool nestled behind the smoke stack. She is currently lying in Tunisia, owned by denim tycoon Jacques Bruynooghe, and is priced at $57M, a steal considering the restoration cost three million more.
? Many classic yachts of S.S. Delphine's era have fallen into disrepair, been sunk by storms, or tossed to the scrap heap, but that doesn't mean they're forgotten. The 210-foot schooner Atlantic might look like a vintage sailing yacht, but it was built in 2010 to replicate a famous racer that held the transatlantic speed record for 75 years. Now asking $24M, this classy replica proves that they can still make quality woodwork like they used to, provided there's plenty of cash to pay for it.
? For those yachties looking to set their own long-distance records, the Silver Zwei is just the ticket. The 241-foot motor yacht is the fastest long-range yacht, as well as the longest aluminum-hulled yacht, in the world. The sleek hull might not leave a lot of room for interiors compared to some more capacious rivals, but she'll still sleep 18 guests and 16 crew while crossing oceans at over 30 mph. Plus, the interiors are as slick as this $85M ship is streamlined.
? When the Bertarelli family, the Italian-Swiss pharmaceutical heavyweights behind the Alinghi America's Cup team, sought a suitable support vessel from which to witness the regatta, they dumped a litte of their $10B fortune into the Alfa Nero. This 269-foot floating palace demonstrates some of the most innovative concepts in modern yacht design, including a pool that transforms, through the use of hydraulics, into a helipad. Despite all this tech trickery, the Bertarellis quickly tired of the megayacht and sold it to an American buyer. Today, Alfa Nero awaits a new owner in Dubai with the very Dubai price tag of $170.4M.
· Roman Abramovich's Eclipse PHOTOS: Mega Yacht Sets Sail (PICTURES) [Huff Po]
· 118 Wally Power [Yacht World]
· 258' Great Lakes Engineering [Yacht World]
· Vaporous Lady [Forbes]
· 210' Van Der Graaf BV [Yacht World]
· Atlantic [official site]
· Silver Zwei [Burgess]
· 269' Oceanco [Yacht World]
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